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Bob Otto wasn’t always into plumbing. He grew up in North Central Massachusetts, with a passion for rocks and a penchant for sports. His mother was an Elite freestyle swimmer and his father ran the family firearms business. Bob and his brother and sisters spent their early years swimming and water skiing on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Throughout high school, Bob played football, basketball, baseball and even the trumpet for the school band. But his greatest school success came in the 10th grade when he took up tennis. He became ranked as one of the top tennis players in New Hampshire. Between high school sports, the National Honor Society and a budding social life, Bob still found time for school work. He was particularly drawn to math and science – an attraction that would stick with him throughout his life. In 1972 he was nominated by his high school to go to the National Youth Conference in Science and the Environment.
When Bob was 16, both of his parents passed away within just three months of each other. A family friend took Bob in so that he could finish high school without transferring, providing him with a whole new family, complete with another brother and two more sisters. When it was time for college, Bob was off to Albion College in Michigan. He studied there for two and half years, took some time off, and then returned to UMass, Amherst where he graduated with a BS in Geology.
Bob joined the Kendall Company right out of college, managing Capital Projects, including the purchasing and installation of cotton bleaching and refining equipment. But he was determined to learn plumbing and pipefitting from the ground up. So, he started the process first as an apprentice, then becoming a foreman, superintendent and finally a project manager, where he learned purchasing and estimating.
He spent time at Economy Plg. & Htg. in Keene, NH, then H. Loney in Brattleboro, VT and BG Mechanical in Easthampton, MA. There he gained valuable experience managing and controlling costs for elementary and high school projects, hospitals and prisons all over New England. As his career continued to expand, he took on responsibility for developing a Mechanical Division for an electrical contractor based in the Connecticut/New York region. And then he was on to Barr and Barr, where he spent almost four years as the Senior MEP Manager focused on the Healthcare sector.
In November 2008, Bob joined Commodore.
What excites you about your work?
It’s all attitude. I don’t think very many people ever find their true passion in life. My bachelor’s degree is in Geology. If the timing had been different, I may have pursued a Masters, but I had a wife and child on the way, so I got a job instead. I didn’t take the path to construction. The path took me at first, but over the years I acquired a love for it. I enjoyed being hands-on. Nothing is more satisfying than moving 20 tons of equipment – guiding it and then setting it in place. Orchestrating intricate pieces and parts - seeing them come together - making them physically work and do what they’re meant to do. It’s neat. That was what I enjoyed about the early part of my career, when I was in the field.
Moving into the office environment brought a whole different set of challenges and a new kind of excitement. Setting up and defining a job became the challenge. I like developing the project scope and purchasing – defining and delineating the work to get to the best number you possibly can – to me that’s fun.
The Healthcare and Life Science sectors have sophisticated MEP systems. Especially in hospitals, the multitude and complexity of the systems is a whole different bag. I thrive on the working relationships with owners and clients and being part of the equipment selection process. I’ve worked in all facets of the plumbing and HVAC trades. Still, there’s always something different and new. That’s what keeps this business interesting.
What drew you to Commodore?
It was the opportunity to establish MEP systems from pre-con right through to construction. I immediately felt comfortable in the open atmosphere here. There’s a camaraderie and willingness to work as a team. I’ve been in the business long enough to know you don’t get that everywhere. Learning is inherent in the culture here and I’m excited to be a part of the training process. People come right up to me - they just sit down…eager for information…ready to listen…there’s a real willingness on the part of everyone to absorb as much information as possible. That gives me the perfect opportunity to pass along what I’ve learned throughout the years.
What are your most memorable projects?
I’ve worked on a lot of neat projects. I managed the HVAC and plumbing for the Frost Effects Research Facility in Hanover, NH. It was built for the Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Labs. The project was a large refrigerated box where soil testing is performed under various rates of freezing and thawing.
Another favorite was a design-build project for Hampden County Prison in Ludlow, MA. The project took over a year and a half and consisted of 13 buildings and 1,200 beds. I was responsible for overseeing the design and installation of the HVAC and plumbing packages.
I spent some time in DC involved in a project considered to be part of our national defense. The BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs for agents of bioterrorism (Bldg. #33), built at the National Institute of Health. It was designed as the primary first responder to bioterrorist attacks in the US. The equipment utilized in protecting the environment from the agents within the facility, was extraordinary. We built the place so that no agents of bioterrorism could possibly get out into the atmospheres. They’d be trapped first in elaborate Hepa-filtration systems.
Has the history of your family inspired your career?
I think I got the interest in mechanics from my Dad. My first formal job was working for him in the family business that was founded by my great grandfather – a Norwegian immigrant who arrived in the1860’s. At 16, my job was assembling single barrel shot-guns. I had a knack for the intricate work and enjoyed the mechanics. One of the master gunsmiths told my father that I had fewer returns than others who’d been in the business for years.
I’m also a descendent of a medical family – hence the interest in hospital work. Dr. Bodo Otto emigrated to the US from Germany. In the 1750’s he was one of only a few European-trained physicians. He became a prominent medical professional in the American revolutionary war and served as a Chief Physician for George Washington, at Valley Forge. My other grandfather, by the name of Walker, was a prominent physician in and around the Boston area. I have written correspondence between him and Dr. Leahy.
What are your hobbies?
Once a year, my wife and I take a trip with friends to Cozumel, Mexico to go scuba-diving – I go diving; my wife likes the pool & beach. The beauty of the underwater never stops amazing me. I’m an avid cyclist. I bike at least 1500 miles every year. The last two years I’ve done 2,000. When I have the time, I golf. When my kids were young I coached baseball and hockey. Now they’re 29 and 24. My son has a two year old son named Kye. I can’t get enough of my first grandchild! I’m a Civil War history buff. There’s a picture of one of my wife’s ancestors, hanging in the Gettysburg Visitor Center that we discovered by chance during one of our visits.
What are your passions?
Geology excites me. It’s my true passion. I could drive off the road looking at rock formations. It’s not uncommon for me to pull my car over on the highway and inspect the faults, folds, anticlines and synclines. Nature in general excites me. My wife and I share our backyard in North Hampton with coyotes, bears, deer and coy dogs…we love them, but at a distance.
I’m also a UMass sports fanatic. Football, hockey, basketball…it just depends on the season. I’m a member of the Court Club at UMass. I met my wife at my 25th high school reunion. She’s been the secretary in the Basketball Office for over 24 years – we were an instant match!
What are your industry associations?
I’m continuing my education every year. I’m actively involved in the Boston chapter of ASHRAE. I’ll finish my ASHE certification in May. I have Master Plumber’s licenses in the states of New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut and a contractor’s HVAC license in Connecticut.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It’s not a question of whether or not you get into trouble, it’s how you get out of it!
Moral of the story – Be resourceful enough to find solutions to problems.
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